Packets for cigarettes or like articles



y 1967 J. w. CHALMERS PACKETS FOR CIGARETTES OR LIKE ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1966 y 1967 v J. w. CHALMERS 3,317,033

PACKETS FOR CIGARETTES OR LIKE ARTICLES Filed. Feb. 10, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet z J. w. CHALMERS I PACKETS FOR CIGARETTES OR LIKE ARTICLES Filed Feb. 10,1966

May 2, 1967 3 SheetsShet 5 United States Patent 65 5 Claims. (Cl. 206-41) This invention relates to packets for cigarettes or like articles and particularly to packets made of synthetic plastic materials.

In relatively recent times, there has come into use a form of cigarette packet variously termed a hinged-lid" or flip-top packet, which comprises a body open at one end only and of a length only slightly shorter than that of cigarettes to be packed therein, and having a lid integral therewith, the connection between the body and lid constituting a hinge. Such packets have hitherto been made of thin card and have been formed byfolding a blank or blanks on a cigarette packing machine and feeding a batch of cigarettes onto the blank at some stage in the operation.

It is known that many synthetic plastic materials have such physical properties that they are eminently suitable for packing cigarettes, but such materials are not conveniently (if at all) adaptable to use in place of card for the manufacture of packets by the folding of a previously-cut blank. The preferred methods of producing articles with such plastic materials are injection moulding and drawing (otherwise termed pressure forming), and it is an object of the present invention to provide a packet for cigarettes or the like which may conveniently and economically be manufactured by such methods.

According to the invention, there is provided a packet of synthetic plastic material comprising a body having four side walls and a bottom all integral with one another, and a lid having four side walls and a top all integral with one another, said lid having a hinge connection to an insert within said body so as to be movable on said hinge between an open position out of alignment with the body and a closed position in alignment therewith, and the same or a further insert within said body having a projecting portion so shaped and disposed as to lie within the lid and against at least one of the side walls of the lid whenever said lid is in said closed position so as to oppose movement of the lid towards said open position but being deformable to permit such movement.

For convenience, the four side walls of the body will be termed a front, a back (opposite the front) and two sides and similar terms will be applied to the side walls of the lid.

In one preferred form of packet embodying the invention a single insert is employed, having the hinge connection to the lid at one end and the projecting portion at the other, said insert being folded so that outer portions of the insert lie against the inner surfaces of the front and back walls of the body and an intermediate portion of the insert lies against the inner surface of the bottom. Alternatively, two inserts may be employed, corresponding in essence to the single insert first-mentioned with the intermediate portion omitted; thus one insert'lines the front of the body and carries the projecting portion while the other insert lines the back of the body and has the hinge connection to the lid.

In a yet further form of packet embodying the invention, again with two inserts, one of the inserts lines the front, the bottom, and a lower part of the back of the body, while the second insert is a relatively shallow member lining an upper part of the back of the body and carry- Patented May 2, 1967 ice ing thehinge connection to the lid, the latter insert being adhesively secured to the back of the body.

It is generally preferable to provide some means of securing the insert or inserts to the body; adhesive is most convenient and may be applied, in the case of the single insert, to the intermediate portion so as to attach the latter to the bottom of the body.

Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an insert for one embodiment and incorporating a lid,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the insert of FIGURE 1 partly assembled with a wrapped batch of cigarettes,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the insert completely assembled with the batch and also shows a box body which is to be slid over the assembly until the body abuts the lid,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the finished packet,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of insert and lid, the insert being in two parts, one of which is integral with the lid, and also shows the box body,

FIGURE 6 shows one part of the insert of FIGURE 5 folded around a wrapped batch of cigarettes,

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of insert and lid the insert being in two parts, one

. generally rectangular shape, the central part being omitted, and it is provided at one end with a pair of projecting portions 3 which stand up at substantially to the plane of the base.

I At the other end of the base there is formed with the base a lid 4 whose narrow sides 5 are trapezoids, each with a sloping side to agree with the slope on the open end of a body 6, FIGURE 3.

Towards the middle of the base 2 broken lines 7 are shown about which the base is to be folded after a wrapped batch 3 has been placed on the base and tucked into the lid as shown in FIGURE 2. The lines 7 may be defined by creases in any desired way but normally the material is made slightly thinner at these lines. The base is then folded about the batch and its end, including the projections 3, is tucked into the lid so that the assembly attains the shape shown in FIGURE 3. Then the body is slid over the batch and the exposed portions of the base, and the packet is then complete, as shown in FIGURE 4.

As it is necessary to fix the insert in the box body this may be done by applying patches of suitable adhesive on the folded parts marked 9 in FIGURE 3. Alternatively, or in addition, adhesive may be applied to the inner faces of the broad sides of the box in positions where the flat faces of the folded insert will be in contact with the adhesive and the insertion of the insert into the box will smear this adhesive over said fiat faces.

In FIGURE 5 the insert consists of two pieces, namely, the major portion of the base, and a smaller portion of the base which is incorporated with the lid, so the base parts are marked 2A and 2B respectively. The part 2A of the base is folded around the batch as before and the result is shown in FIGURE 6. Then the lid and body are applied and during this operation the lid is fixed to the body by adhesive or the like applied inside the box body so that the part 2B of the base is stuck to the body and abuts the adjacent ends of the rest of the base, and the rest of the insert is fixed in the body as before.

Referring to FIGURE 7 the base is made in two parts, 2C and 2D, the lid being incorporated in the latter. In this case the part of the base between the lines 7, in the earlier embodiments, is omitted. The two pieces are assembled with the batch as shown in FIGURE -8 and then adhesive is applied in suitable positions on the inner broad faces of the body 6 so as to stick the two parts of the insert to the body.

It will be noticed that, in each of the embodiments of the invention described, the projections 3 are sloped somewhat at 3A so as to give a lead over which the lid can pass, in closing, whereafter it is held closed by slightly deforming these projections.

The various parts of the box may be made by injection, or former and blow moulding as may be most convenient and the lid and body may be of slightly thicker material than the other parts as, in use, the lid is opened and closed a good many times and must retain its shape.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A packet of synthetic plastic material comprising a body having front, rear, and two side walls and a bottom all integral with one another, and a lid having four side walls and a top all integral with one another, an insert within said body, a hinge connecting said lid to said insert, said lid being movable on said hinge between an open position out of alignment with the body and a closed position in alignment therewith, said insert having a projecting portion so shaped and disposed as to lie within the lid and against at least one of the'side walls of the lid whenever said lid is in saidclosed position so as to oppose movement of the lid towards said open position but being deformable to permit such movement.

2. A packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said insert has the hinge connection to the lid at one end and the projecting portion at the other, said insert being folded so that outer portions of the insert lie against the inner surfaces of the front and back walls of the body and an intermediate portion of the insert lies against the inner surface of the bottom.

3. A packet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said insert is secured within the body by adhesive applied to the said intermediate portion of the insert to attach it to the bottom of the body.

4. A packet of synthetic plastic material comprising a body having front, rear, and two side walls and a bottom all integral with one another, a lid having four side walls and a top all integral with one another, a first insert lying against the inner surface of the rear wall of the body, a hinge connecting said lid to said first insert, said lid being movable on said hinge between an open position out of alignment with the body and a closed position in alignment therewith, a second insert lying against the inner surface of the front wall of the body and having a projecting portion so shaped and disposed as to lie within the lid and against at least one of the side walls of the lid when said lid is in said closed position so as to oppose movement of the lid towards said open position but being deformable to permit such movement.

5. A packet of synthetic plastic material comprising a body having front, rear, and two side walls and a bottom all integral with one another, a lid having four side walls and a top all integral with one another, a first insert lying against the inner surface of a part of the rear wall of the body, a hinge connecting said lid to said first insert, said lid being movable on said hinge between an open position out of alignment with the body and a closed position in alignment therewith, a second insert lying against the inner surface of the front wall, the bottom, and a part of the rear wall of the body and having a projecting portion so shaped and disposed as to lie within the lid and against at least one of the side walls of the lid when said lid is in said closed position so as to oppose movement of the lid towards said open position but being deformable to permit such movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,104 3/1933 Fortuna et al.

2,057,453 10/1936 Siebert 20641 2,954,867 10/1960 Tacke 206-41 2,992,766 7/1961 Guyer 22944 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. D. M. BOCKENEK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKET OF SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A BODY HAVING FRONT, REAR, AND TWO SIDE WALLS AND A BOTTOM ALL INTEGRAL WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND A LID HAVING FOUR SIDE WALLS AND A TOP ALL INTEGRAL WITH ONE ANOTHER, AN INSERT WITHIN SAID BODY, A HINGE CONNECTING SAID LID TO SAID INSERT, SAID LID BEING MOVABLE ON SAID HINGE BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE BODY AND A CLOSED POSITION IN ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, SAID INSERT HAVING A PRO- 